Oncor continues to work to restore power in North Texas "substantially" by Friday as storm cleanup continues
NORTH TEXAS — Thursday marks the third day that over 100,000 North Texas residents are without power following Tuesday's severe storms. As of 4 a.m. Thursday morning, Oncor had restored power to more than 500,000 customers.
The utility company is estimating "restoration will be substantially complete by Friday." However, it does mention harder hit areas will probably be restored Saturday.
Oncor crews have been working 16-hour days to restore power following deadly storms and a disaster declaration for Dallas County.
Nearly 9,000 additional personnel have been deployed to help Oncor since representative Grant Cruise mentioned the company making that request. He also said Oncor requested mutual assistance from utility partners outside of the state. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and Virginia all obliged.
In Richardson, Texas there are still a lot of trees down on power lines, which can be really dangerous for crews and residents.
"One of my tree limbs is laying on the transformer which is going to keep the power company from firing up, so until they take off the tree, we're out of power," said resident Scott Ramsey.
If you're without power, check with your city to find a cooling and charging station. You can head to the library in Richardson, which is one of four stations available to the public.
Another Richardson family is dealing with massive tree damage to their homes. Charla Clausen lives next door to her daughter and across the street from her sister. Clausen has tree branches blocking her front door and damaging her roof and gutters but her daughter may have suffered the worst of the damage.
"She heard water running, she goes walking around the house and she and Tony found a large red oak branch through her ceiling in her living room. [There's] dirty water from the room dropping all over her brand new sofa and floor," said Clausen.
If your home has been damaged, the first thing you need to do is call the insurance company and report it. That helps the process get started. Also, make sure to take pictures of all the damage and keep receipts for anything you buy.
Storm and power outage safety tips from Oncor
- Always treat a power line as if it is energized.
- Do not touch trees or limbs on power lines.
- Stay clear of debris or puddled water near power lines.
- To report a power outage or to check the status of an outage, download the MyOncor app, text OUT to 66267, or call (888) 313-4747.
Schools recovering
Some schools are back in action Wednesday after the storms canceled all events and activities Tuesday. Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde says 63 schools within the district were without power at one point. Other districts and universities closed or delayed classes, as well.